Taleah Ackland is an overnight success story eight years in the making with the first Charlotte Caslick Medal around her neck.
The latest rising star of rugby sevens in Queensland earned the newly-minted gong on Wednesday night plus a less public bonus.
Ackland, 20, has been ushered to Sydney to train with the Australian squad for the first time. She'll be part of preparations for a possible hitout in her home town of Toowoomba during the top-tier tri-series against New Zealand and the US on October 17-18.
Winning the award, as voted by fellow players, for her strong performances in the Next Gen 7s series had a special touch.
Caslick, the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist, was there to personally present the medal at the rooftop terrace of Agnes Restaurant in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.
Few will know the full-circle vibe to all this.
It was Caslick and her Rio teammates in gold who first inspired a young schoolgirl at Toowoomba's Fairholme College to dream big.
"The girls won the gold in 2016. Demi Hayes, Ellia Green and Dom du Toit from the Aussie sevens squad visited my school a year later," Ackland recounted.
"Demi and Dom went to Fairholme themselves as did Emilee Cherry.
"From that moment I kind of knew I wanted to represent my country.
"It's such a privilege to now win his medal.
"We pretty much had a brand new team for Next Gen this season. It was so much fun with the girls and we succeeded out of adversity."
Her game has been in full flourish this season and last with her leg-pumping determination to power ahead in midfield, her offloads, workrate and general footy smarts.
Under her trademark coloured headgear, she was a significant factor in Queensland's Next Gen 7s triumph at Ballymore Stadium last month.
The marriage between the Queensland Academy of Sport and Queensland rugby has given the sevens program an outstanding base at Ballymore when you factor in the savvy coaching of Shannon Parry, another golden girl from Rio.
"Charlotte was part of the youth sevens program started in Queensland in 2011. Queensland has proven the best on the world for converting youthful talent into players for a national program," said Lachlan Parkinson, the National Talent Pathways Manager for Rugby Sevens.
Charli Nikola is another young gun taking her first steps. Only 18, she jumped into Next Gen 7s with barely a game behind her from her touch background.
Her footwork to shake defenders and speed to close the deal with long-range tries was eye-catching. Importantly, she knows where she still has gains to make.
"I got more confident with backing myself with the ball after being hesitant to start the series. I've come from touch so I know the work I have to put in on my defence," Nikola said.
Winger Emmisyn Wynyard was a popular winner of the Spirit of the Reds award.
The women's program in Queensland is kicking goals with the foresight to offer cross-over opportunites between sevens and the 15-a-side game.
Watching Caslick excel at sevens and represent the Reds and Wallaroos, all in the same season, can only empower others to see the possibilities as well.
Sevens girls Ackland, Kaelyn Passi, Ava Wereta and Tahlia Evans all made a switch to 15s for the Reds match against the NSW Waratahs at the recent Santos Festival of Rugby in Narrabri.
"It was very different but we didn't look like we were lost," said Ackland, who played as a flanker.
"I really loved the opportunity and getting more game time is a good thing.
"Chances like that are definitely a great idea in women's rugby."
